Combined microphone and switch



July 17, 1951 R, l.. STONE ET AL '2,561,320

COMBINED MICROPHONE AND SWITCH Filed Nov. 15, 194e K 2 sheets-sheet 1521 ,71, |31; fio/49 4,///L

INVENTOR. ROBERTL. STONE BY FRHNK E. RUNE HT TORNEY July 17, 1951 R. L.STONE ETAL 2,561,320

COMBINED MICROPHONE AND SWITCH Filed Nov. l5, 1.946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR. HUBERT L. STONE FRHNK E. RUNGE HTTORNEY Patented July 17,1951l COMBINED' MICROPHONE AND SWITCH Robert L. Stone, Guilford, andFrank E. Runge, Branford, Conn., assignors to The SoundscriberCorporation, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of. Connecticut-Application November' 15, 1946, Serial No. 710,028@

1 Claim.

This invention relatesy to dictating apparatus, and more particularly toa combined microphone and lwitch holder which may selectively be used onthe desk for conferencedictation or be carried in the hand of thedictator for close talking.

One object of the present invention is to provide a device of the abovenature in which the microphone unit may be replaced if desired by acombination microphone and loudspeaker unit.

A further object is to provide a devicek of the above nature having asemi-circular switch vactuator extending over the entire top of thecasing and which is adapted to bey actuated either by the thumb orforeiinger or both, of the users hand.

A further object is to provide a, microphone and switch holder oi theabove nature having a plate mounted flush in an elongated groove-in thebase of the casing to provide a slot by means of which the user mayattach the device on a hook mounted on the dictatingrnachine or othersupport, whenever desired.

A furtherl object is; to. provide a device of the above nature in whichthe casing is provided with a dat bottom `surface for resting on thedesk when not carried in the users hand.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which willbe simple` inconstruction, light in weight and hencenon-fatiguing,inexpensive to manufacture, having high impact strength, easy to installand manipulate, compact, attractive in appearance, shaped to iit theusers hand, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and otherl objects in view, there has been illustrated on theaccompanying drawings one form in which the invention may convenientlybe embodied in practice.

n the drawings,

Fig. l `represents the top plan View of thehand microphone and switchunit embodying the `present invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are side and bottom plany views 2 dica'tes a bottom baseof insulating material hav'- ing an. upwardly inclined. diverg-i'ngskirt 'I l. The

base is made substantially oval-shapedi withcircular end sections and areduced intermediate sectionA to iacilitatev carry-ing in the usershand.

The base it' is provided valongL itsv longitudinal' center line with ashort ups-sanding pivot' lugv l2, and a pair of higher circular screwbosses'. i3', ill, as most clearly shownin'iigs- 4 and` 6 ci thedrawing. On the outside of thev cover base iii,- provision is made of alongitudinalvgroove' i5, within which is secured; by means/.of threescrews ii, a circular hanger disk ifi., preferably constructed of metal.and located ush with thei'iat bottom of the base ill.

As will be clear from-the drawings, a slotf ila is left between thehanger' disk. i6 and the top of the groove it for detachably iittingover a Z-shaped hanger plate Hb adapted tov beI permanently secured tothe dictatingmachine-cabinet, a desk, or'other support, not shown. Thecombined microphone and switch holder is` provided with an upper casingi8 also of insulating material, which casing is dished and constructedof the same oval shape as the base ld.

The casing i8 is provided with an inclined forward facey ie having aplurality of transverse louvres 2@ extendingthroughvr thewall thereoftering 25l to form a cushion. for said unit when seated in the top of saidcashing-an acoustic chamber 26 being formed between said microphone unit23 and the louvres 2&1.

The microphone unit 23 has a depending rectangular yoke 2l which isprovided with side apertures 23 and embraces a depending coilenclosingcylinder 29.

The microphone unit 23 is adapted to be connected to a switch unit,herein shown as a microswitch 46, by means of a pair of lead wires 3D,3|, which are connected in parallel to a capacitator 32 to preventsparking 'during the operation of the microphone, or loudspeaker, The

wires 30, 3| are connected to the switch 46 by means of lead wires 33,34.

The casing I3 is also provided with a depending intermediate integralsquare boss 35 having a pair of longitudinally aligned tapped holes 39,31 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The casing I8 also has apair of integral transversely arranged screw bosses 38 having tappedmetallic bushings 38a embedded therein during the manufacture thereof. Adepending boss 39 is also provided adjacent the rear end of the casingI8 for cooperating with the upstanding screw boss I4 in the base I0.

The bottom base I is detachably secured to the casing I8 by means of apair of flat head screws 49, 4I passing through the aligned bosses I3,35 and I4, 39, respectively.

The microphone unit 23 is adapted to be held firmly against the edge ofthe inclined face I9 of the casing I8 by means of a rectangular metallicclamp strip 42 having an upstanding front end 43 which embraces the yoke2l of the microphone unit 23. The strip 42 is provided with alongitudinal interior clearance slot 44 embracing the screw 40 and ascrew 45 which is employed to attach the microphone clamp strip 42 tothe square boss 35, as shown.

A pair of attaching screws 41, 48 are also ernployed for connecting themicroswitch 4S (which is of rectangular construction) to the bushings38a of the bosses 38.

The microswitch 46 is provided with a movable switch button 49 which isadapted to be depressed in response to the swinging motion oi theactuating segment 50.

The ring segment 50 has a knurled semi-circular end 5I projectingoutwardly between the forward ends of the base I0 and the casing I8, andsaid segment 50 is provided with a central pivot aperture 52 fitted uponthe pivot lug I2 of the base I0. The actuator 50 has a large circularaperture 52a surrounding the screw boss I3 on the base cover I0. Thesegment 59 is also provided with a raised inner leg 53, connected to apair of converging arms 54, 55, as shown in Fig. 6.

In order to actuate the switch button 49, provision is made of ametallic spring strip 56 having an upper ear 56a secured to the arm 54by means of a pair of drive screws 57, 58. The strip 56 has a rearspring section 59 provided with an inclined cam face 59a, an offsetconcave section 60, and an inturned end 6I.

The rectangular microswitch 46 is mounted crosswise in the casing I8 andis provided with lead wires 62, 63, 64, 65, 56, for connecting it to themicrophone unit 23 and other parts of the dictating apparatus, in amanner not necessary to be herein shown.

In order to provide a mounting for a lead-in cable l0, provision is madeof a ilexible rubber grommet 61 having an integral square ange 68fitting into a square socket 68a formed by the 4 opposite sides of thecasing I8 and the cover I0, respectively, and an integral circularexterior ange 69.

The intermediate section of. the grommet 67 between the flanges 68, 69is fitted into a pair of complementary semi-circular sockets 68h formedin the base I9 and casing I9, respectively.

The present invention is especially adapted for use in connection withan electronic recording and playback'dictation machine of the typedisclosed in my Reissue Patent No. 22,696, dated February 20, 1945,entitled Control Circuit for Sound Recording Apparatus.

Operation In operation, when the actuator segment 59 is moved clockwise,as viewed in Figs. 1 and 6, the offset cup 60 will move laterally so asto snap over and depress the microphone switch button 49. To release theswitch button 49, the actuator segment 59 Will be swung in the reversedirection.

It will be understood that during use, the device may selectively beheld in the operators hand, allowed to lie nat on the table, or besuspended on the hanger I'Ib.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in whichthe invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form isto be shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the inventionis not to be limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modied andembodied in vario-us other forms without departing from its spirit. Inshort, the invention includes all the modifications and embodimentscoming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, andfor which it is desired t0 secure Letters Patent, is:

In a combined microphone and switch holder, a perforated hollow uppercasing, a hollow base attached to said casing, a microphone unit locatedWithin one end of said casing, a transverse rectangular control switchin circuit with said microphone unit located Within the other end ofsaid holder, and a resilient strip clamped between said casing and saidbase and engaging said microphone unit for yieldably pressing said unitagainst said casing.

ROBERT L. STONE. FRANK E. RUNGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 960,731 Taylor June 7, 19101,709,144 Mueller Apr. 16, 1929 1,877,678 Markman Sept. 13, 1932

